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Have federal leaders forgotten why they joined the ranks?

While he's on vacation, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey has turned over his
column to a few regular readers to share their thoughts. Today's column is written
by longtime reader Carla Jo Rupert.

I was raised in a Southern military home that believed that people of rank or
seniority earned the right to be respected. These individuals paid their dues,
played by the rules and moved up the ladder of success by being honorable and
taking care of their people. A leader (as defined by me) is a person of
authority, integrity, someone who has the right to control, command or determine
an outcome. Leaders are the people to whom most kids look up to, believe in,
respect and strive to be like.

I sit here today stunned and wondering just how my beliefs could have been so
wrong. Since moving to Washington, D.C., in 2000, I have found my respect for
high-ranking civilian and military leaders severely damaged. I have witnessed
more corruption, greed and a blatant sense of entitlement than I care to mention
(or even believed existed) within the federal government. I am tired of reading
article after article about our leaders lying, cheating and stealing. Some of
these so-called "leaders" who claim to represent our country (and our way of life)
are frivolously wasting taxpayer's money and are not thinking twice about it.
(GSA, need I say more?) It's as if the "privileged" are saying that we, the
little people, should just stand by and accept whatever they do because they are a
Senior Level Federal Employee and have earned the right to "bend the rules."

Really? Where is this mentality coming from? I don't believe that these people
started their federal service believing that "bending the rules" (or breaking
laws) is a God-given right handed down by 'time in service' to our country. In
fact, they probably started out believing that they could make a difference, be a
strong leader and take down the wicked and unjust. When did it all change?
Leaders are entrusted to a position of authority and are expected to be honest and
represent the American people and our interests. How dare they squander our money
when U.S. citizens are scraping by just to put food on the table, losing their
homes because they can't pay the mortgage and won't use health care because they
can't afford it?

Have our so-called "leaders" forgotten why they joined the federal ranks? I
always thought it was to: serve my country; to defend it and its people; and to be
a voice for those who can't be heard.

I want my childhood belief system to be a reality again. I want to raise my
daughter in a country where the leaders actually have morals and integrity. The
only way to achieve this is to ask all of our "leaders" to stop acting like
spoiled, selfish children and act like the person who would make their mothers'
proud. Be the leader who you wanted to be as a child. Make the difference. Take
a stand. Realize that you represent the American populace and should act as
stewards of good faith and judgment. Make my daughter want to be you.

The Iowa State Fair, which wrapped up last week, offered 57 products on a stick,
according to The New York
Times. The impaled treats included butter, Snickers, pork chops and a "double-
bacon, double-deep-fried corn dog."

NTEU survey finds broad
public support for vital federal programs
A new survey conducted by the National Treasury Employees Union finds 7 in 10
respondents think the federal government should devote more resources and manpower
to border security and food safety. However, others say the survey missed the mark
and didn't ask the right questions.

Retaliation, reprisal top EEOC
complaints from feds
Retaliation and reprisal remain the number one complaint among federal employees,
according to a new report from the Equal Employment Opportunity Office. Feds filed
7,553 retaliation/reprisal complaints in fiscal 2011, followed by 5,863 complaints
of non-sexual harassment, according to the report.